


Claws

by Kate (Lil_Miss_Nugget)



Category: Haikyuu!!, Supernatural, haikyuu
Genre: Drama, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Supernatural - Freeform, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Thriller, explicit for later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-05 17:34:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6714370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Miss_Nugget/pseuds/Kate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama Tobio was a hunter, born and bred, trying to flee his past. Hinata Shouyou was dragged into the life of a hunter, driven by vengence.</p>
<p>When tragedy strikes, a twist of fate brings these two together to conquer the most formidable opponent the world has never known.</p>
<p>But the past has a way of surprising you. It lurks somewhere in your future, waiting for the chance to pounce on unsuspecting prey. It attacks, and whatever you have tried to forget or run from blindsides you.</p>
<p>And once it's claws sink into these hunters, what will become of their quest and of themselves?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So here we go! Starting my first ever multi-chapter fic! Crossing over my favorite fandoms for this bad boy. Hope you like!

When Kageyama Tobio was asked about how he found the body, he couldn’t form a single coherent thought.

 

_ Did you see what killed him? _

 

There’s... blood.

 

_ Did you see any tracks? _

 

His blood is everywhere.

 

_ Kageyama, focus. _

 

Oh God, it’s  _ everywhere _ …

 

Eventually the other hunters stopped trying to get the information out of him and investigated the scene of the slaughter themselves. Kageyama was sent back to his room to bathe and change, everyone too engrossed in perusing the scene to see how shell shocked the young man was.

 

He stumbled into the room, peeling his jacket, shirt, and jeans, all soaked through with blood, from his skin. When he passed the mirror, Kageyama was shocked to see how absolutely ruined he looked. Head to toe, his normally pale flesh was stained pink and red with blood. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy; had he blinked at all since he found the body?

 

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as Kageyama drew a bath. He sat on the edge of the porcelain tub, naked, watching the steaming water rise and blood dry on his skin. Once full, Kageyama sank into the tub mechanically, disregarding the scalding temperature of the water. He welcomed the burn, accepting it, thriving in it.

 

_ I wasn’t fast enough. _

 

The thought crossed his mind and refused to leave. He knew deep down there is nothing he could have done-

 

_ You idiot. His blood is on your hands now. _

 

Kageyama looked down at his hands. Sure enough, they had been painted crimson with the blood of the person he so desperately tried to save. It was under his fingernails, seeping into his pores, mingling in his open wounds, pulsing through his bloodstream-

 

Kageyama grabbed for the bar of soap like a wild animal and began scrubbing himself viciously. His blood was  _ everywhere _ . He had to get it off of him,  _ out  _ of him, wash it away, get rid of it all, cleanse himself of the awful  _ guilt,  _ because _ it’s all my fault. _

 

When Kindaichi came in to check on Kageyama a few hours later, he had to wrestle the soap and scrub brush out of his friend’s hands. The water had been turned pink from all the washed off blood, and Kageyama had scrubbed his skin raw, red, and even bleeding in some places, particularly his hands. He managed to haul the flailing teen out of the tub, but couldn’t get him to his bedroom due to all the kicking and screaming. Kageyama was a rabid animal, literally foaming at the mouth, scratching and biting at Kindaichi when he could reach and at himself when he couldn’t. He clawed himself like he was trying to peel off his own skin, wailing unintelligibly except for one very distinguishable word;  _ blood. _

 

Kunimi eventually came to the rescue and helped Kindaichi carry the writhing Kageyama to his bed, forcing him to lie down and pulling the covers up over him. He was still naked and soaked to the bone, but there wasn’t much else the two young hunters could do with Kageyama while he was so vehemently rejecting their help. It took force feeding Kageyama three too many sleeping pills to get him to calm down, and in his drugged sleep he looked like a cold, bleeding corpse, a sight the three young men had become far too familiar with in the past few hours. Kindaichi and Kunimi stood silently for a while, watching Kageyama’s chest rise and fall slowly to make sure he was only asleep.

 

“Shit…” Kindaichi broke the silence and ran his hand through his hair. “This is so… This is…”

 

“Fucked up?” Kunimi deadpanned. Kindaichi sighed through his nose and sagged his shoulders. “Yeah… It is....”

 

“ _ Shit _ ,” Kindaichi huffed, pacing around the room restlessly. Kunimi sat and watched him with half-lidded eyes. If it weren’t for his fingers twitching restlessly in his lap, Kindaichi would have thought Kunimi was completely unfazed by the death of their mentor. “This isn’t supposed to happen, there’s no way this could have happened. He was the best, what are we gonna-”

 

“He’s dead now,” Kunimi cut him off, his voice clipped and harsh, “and our new best hunter is a bawling mess and doped up on too many pills to count.” Kindaichi looked at his sleeping friend sorrowfully. It was hard enough for everyone else in the clan, but for Kageyama… Kindaichi couldn't begin to fathom what the prodigious hunter must be feeling.

 

Kindaichi’s shoulders sagged and his gaze fell to the floor. “So what now?” Never had he felt so incredibly defeated, so helpless.

 

“We make sure he doesn't kill himself when he wakes up,” Kunimi was to the point, much better at covering up how much all this was getting to him than Kindaichi.

 

“And what about…?”

 

Kindaichi couldn’t manage to speak his name, and instead nodded toward the campground solemnly. Kunimi’s gaze drifted to the window. Rain had started to fall; they wouldn’t be able to make the funeral pyre tonight.

 

“We prepare the body for a funeral tomorrow. We should bring it inside to make sure it doesn’t get waterlogged. Harder to burn that way.”

 

“I-Inside?” Kindaichi wanted to vomit. “Why can’t we just bury it toni-”

 

“A hunter is  _ never _ buried!” Kunimi’s voice rose to a startling volume. Kindaichi was taken aback at the force behind his usually laconic friend’s words. Kunimi’s eyes bore into his and Kindaichi watched as he returned his attention to the rain outside. “We’ll keep the body dry, and keep Kageyama away from it. We’ll salt and burn tomorrow. If a restless spirit stayed behind, we should still be safe if we take care of it within a week.”

 

“Should Kageyama do the salting and burning? I mean, if he… can…” Kunimi nodded solemnly.

  
“Think so... Oikawa would have wanted him to do it.”


	2. Drinks and Dumbasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama is a grumpy bug and Hinata doesn't understand the word "no"

Kageyama swirled the amber liquid in his glass once before taking a small sip. He didn’t usually drink scotch, it wasn’t his thing, but Kindaichi was buying his drinks for the rest of the night and Kageyama wasn’t about to turn down free alcohol.

Speaking of the hunter, Kindaichi looked horribly uncomfortable from where Kageyama was sitting. The man was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, and hadn’t even touched his first drink. Kageyama was on his third.

“So, why’re you so eager to meet with me now, of all times?” Kageyama finally broke the silence that had been hanging over them for the hour they’d been sitting in the dingy bar. Kindaichi jolted nervously. He reminded Kageyama of a bug pinned under a magnifying glass. He tripped over his words a few times, and Kageyama felt his eye twitch in annoyance. He hated it when people couldn’t say what they needed to.

“I-I heard from some other hunters that you were passing through town and I, um, was hoping to catch up?” Kindaichi scratched his head nervously. The other hunter briefly wondered if Kindaichi put product in his hair every day to get it to spike straight up like that. Kageyama sighed and clinked his glass on the dirty table.

“If that’s the only reason you called me, we’re both wasting our time.” Kindaichi grabbed Kageyama’s wrist in a panic as the elite hunter began to stand.

“W-Wait!” His gray-black eyes were wide in desperation. Kageyama scowled but sat down, crossing his arms and leaning back into the worn seat cushions. Kindaichi squirmed under his unwavering gaze and worried his bottom lip with his teeth. He glanced around the bar anxiously and seemed to shrink in on himself.

“Does the clan know you’re here?” Kageyama asked cooly. Kindaichi shook his head. “Not even Kunimi?” Kindaichi bowed his head lower.

“Akira thinks I’m on a hunt.” Kageyama tilted his head slightly and squinted at his old clanmate.

“Why all the secrecy?” Kindaichi seemed to shrink in his clothes. Seriously though, how does his hair stay straight up like that?

Kindaichi opened his mouth to speak when the door of the bar slammed open and heavy boots stormed in. Kageyama could instantly tell who was a veteran hunter in the bar, because their first reactions were to reach for whatever weapon they had concealed in their many layers of clothing. Kageyama uninterestedly took another sip of his drink.

“Oi!” The bar owner, an older hunter with his dyed blonde hair pulled back and a cigarette caught between his teeth, leaned over the bar and regarded the intruder with a scowl. “You gonna keep being that loud then we’re gonna have some serious problems, you and I.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kageyama saw a slight figure in dark wash jeans and a black hoodie take a seat on one of the wooden barstools, dropping a large duffel bag on the creaky wooden floor. “Sorry, sorry!” the intruder apologized profusely as he dug through his backpack for his wallet, “Didn’t mean to be so loud, just kinda in a rush.” Kageyama scoffed. A newbie on their first hunt, probably. Eager to get in, get a drink to bolster their courage, then run out and get killed. Kageyama had seen hundreds of them. He almost was one of them.

“Kageyama, are you even listening?” Oh yeah, Kindaichi.

“No.”

Kindaichi’s shoulders sagged tiredly and he heaved a breath, doing his best not to let his anger get the best of him. It struck Kageyama suddenly how old Kindaichi looked. They were the same age, mere months apart, but there were dark circles under the fellow hunter’s eyes, and lines etched into his young cheeks from a permanent scowl. Had it really been so long? Kageyama almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Out of courtesy though, Kageyama folded his hands on the table and leaned forward on his elbows, looking Kindaichi firmly in the eye. He could smell Kindaichi’s aftershave, some sunny and light scent that struck Kageyama as rather feminine. Perhaps it belonged to Kunimi.

“Tell me why you wanted to meet all of a sudden,” Kageyama’s voice was low and measured, giving Kindaichi the opportunity to spit out what he needed to but making it clear he had limited patience.

Kindaichi got the message. He took a shuddering breath and sighed. Kageyama tried not to grimace at the scent of beer on his breath. “We think… The clan thinks it came back. The demon that killed Oikawa.”

Kageyama bristled like a cat. His head span and his stomach dropped. He hadn’t heard that name in so many years. He wanted to wither in on himself and throw his glass against the wall at the same time. He’d spent every waking hour in the year following Oikawa’s death trying to track down that demon, but every lead resulted in a dead end. He had given up the search for years, and that tragedy, that pain, that bloodlust had become but a distant memory to Kageyama. But now that it was back…

“How can you be so sure?” Kageyama tried to keep his composure, but he could tell his eyes were wild. “You’re not going off of some bullshit rumors?”

“Nonono, no, we have evidence,” Kindaichi spoke in a hushed tone. He ruffled through the satchel seated in the booth beside him, retrieving a leather bound journal with the clan’s insignia impressed on the front. Kageyama vaguely remembered having a journal exactly like this at one time. Kindaichi fumbled as he undid the clasp and the yellowed pages spilled open, loose leaf note sheets spilling onto the table. Kageyama’s eyes moved over the pages quickly as Kindaichi flipped through them. “This, here, is my field report from the night of the first attack, and here-” he flipped forward to an entry dated just days ago, “is the most recent encounter.” Kageyama read over the page wildly, looking for some sort of connection. His brows furrowed.

“This isn’t evidence,” Kageyama glowered. “This is just another dumbass that thought he could take on a crossroads demon alone.”

“The wounds are exactly the same-”

“Coincidence, Kindaichi.” The wounds were exactly the same; throat slit, a stab wound directly through the heart for good measure. Quick. Clean. Professional. Done be someone that didn’t want to get their hands dirty. But they could have been done by anyone. Kageyama huffed and leaned back in his booth, crossing his arms. Damn, adrenaline was coursing through him. How could a thing of the past, something he claimed he didn’t care about anymore, get him this riled up?

“This isn’t the first, Kageyama, and it ain’t the second,” Kindaichi was unwavering. “This is the ninth kill from our clan in the last three months, and the forty-third between us and Dateko, Nekoma, Nohebi, Johzenji, Fukurodani, and Shiratorizawa.” Kageyama was unconvinced, but the mention of Shiratorizawa gave him pause. The clan was brutal, even in Kageyama’s terms, and to lose even one hunter to the threat of a single demon was unheard of in Shiratorizawa.

“Just demons getting more active and hunters less equipped to address the threat,” Kageyama replied cooly. He could not believe he got dragged out to this shitty bar in the middle of nowhere to hear about fucking coincidences. “Look, the work you’ve done is extensive, but it’s fruitless.” Kageyama felt a little sorry for him beneath his anger at the man for wasting his time. “Just… let it go, Kindaichi. Before…” Before you end up like me.

“No, this isn’t me acting out of grief, not like you,” Kageyama’s eyes widened, appalled. “This is me trying to stop more people from getting killed.” He reached into his bag and pulled out something wrapped heavily in dark cloth. He placed it right in front of Kageyama, and waited for the other hunter to unravel it. “In our clan, it’s tradition for a hunter to always be burned with their blade.”

“I remember the customs, I’m not an idiot,” Kageyama snapped.

“Then you’ll also remember there is only one time in the clan’s history that a hunter was burned without it.”

Kageyama went still. Color drained from his face and the sounds of glasses clinking and men laughing seemed to be sucked out of the bar like a vacuum. He snatched the bundle off the table and unwrapped it with trembling fingers.

The blade was a standard issue weapon for hunters; an eight inch blade of curved sliver, perfect for werewolf hunting, and an oak handle, smooth and comfortable in the palm. Kageyama had one exactly like this. Except for one detail. Along the handle of this particular knife, the former owner had carved their name into the wood.

Oikawa Tooru.

Kageyama drew shaky breaths. This was… okay, this was evidence. Kindaichi was blathering on about how it was found with the body of the last member that was slain, and about how he managed to sneak it out of the camp, but Kageyama didn’t hear him. He was too engrossed in tracing his fingertips over the name he swore he would never allow to cross his mind again.

Suddenly every memory he had attempted to repress burst forth. Kageyama remembered the intensity of his mentor’s gaze on the hunt, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and the pain, like a dagger, when Kageyama found his mentor dead.

And there were other memories, softer, gentler ones. Memories of the languid smile Oikawa wore when they first met, memories of hands in hair and lips on skin, promises whispered softly under the cover of darkness.

In a way, the happy memories hurt more than the painful ones.

Kageyama’s legs hit the table so hard that he almost stumbled back into his seat. He was still holding onto the knife. Kindaichi quickly shoved the journal into his bag and threw some money on the table. “Kageyama, where are you going? Kageyama!”

“I-I need some air,” Kageyama bumped into a man on the way out and muttered an apology as he stumbled toward the door. He felt like he was suffocating in the enclosed space.

“Look, I know where to start looking,” Kindaichi called after him as he caught up. “Maybe if you came back and apologized to the clan we-”

“I am not going to apologize!” The bar went silent. Kageyama could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He was used to it. The stares. “I don’t need the clan’s help, I don’t need your pity, I don’t need anything but this,” Kageyama swung the blade in Kindaichi’s face. The bar owner grabbed for the shotgun hidden under the bar. Kageyama pressed the tip of the blade just under Kindaichi’s chin. He didn’t mean to intimidate him, to cause that flash of fear across his features, but he wanted to be sure Kindaichi wasn’t going to follow him.

“Why tell me this?” His voice was a low growl. “Why bring this to me? People got killed last time I tried hunting this thing.” Kindaichi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped.

“W-Wasn’t sure if you cared anymore,” Kindaichi said. “But in case you did… I thought you deserved to know.” Despite the knife against his neck, Kindaichi stood proudly. The guy was actually sincere.

The idiot was going to get himself killed someday with that sentimental attitude.

Kageyama flipped the blade away from his throat and sheathed it in his belt loop. Once again, Kageyama turned around and headed for the door.

Kindaichi didn’t try to follow this time.

The door swung shut behind him. It was summertime and the night was warm and humid. Fireflies danced around the wild grasses the sprung up alongside the dirt road. Kageyama was acutely aware of the weight tugging on his waist as he made his way to his car. Six years. Six long years of trying to forget and being content with never knowing what killed Oikawa, and suddenly his lust for vengeance and his drive to hunt returned, all because of a knife.

He didn’t know what he was going to do or where he was going to go, but one thing was certain; Kageyama was going to ki-

“Hey, you!”

...What the fuck?

Kageyama stopped in his tracks and whipped around to face the voice. It was the skinny kid that burst into the bar before. With his hood down and facing him, Kageyama could now see the stranger had wide hazel eyes and a shock of orange hair. He was short and lanky. What the hell did he want with Kageyama?

“You’re Kageyama Tobio, right? The ‘King’?” Uhg, this kid was so loud. He was not helping Kageyama’s future hangover. And were there seriously stories about Kageyama still floating around? Good God.

“Who’s asking?”

“I’m Hinata Shouyou,” the redhead answered. He must be a newbie, no experienced hunter gives their name away that easily to strangers. Even if you do know their name. “I’m a hunter, like you. Well, I’m kinda new,” Yeah, no shit, “but I’m good. I need your help-”

“I’ll stop you right there, kid,” Kageyama waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not gonna help you.”

“Well maybe I can help you?”

“With what?” Kageyama’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m pretty sure we’re hunting the same thing,” God, Kageyama was so done with him already. “I’ve been doing my research; throat slit, stab wound to the chest? Sulfur found at the crime scene?”

“Congrats, you’ve been listening in on hunters’ conversations. Look, I’m not looking to help your clan-”

“I don’t have a clan,” the kid cut him off. “Till about four months ago I was a normal guy going to university. Whatever demon’s killing clansmen, it’s killing normal people too.” Civilians? What the hell… “I’ve heard you’re probably the person that’s most intent on destroying this demon or whatever it is, so I thought it was best to come to you for help.”

“Kid, I’m not interested in protecting you, alright?” Kageyama returned his attention to his car and opened the door.

“This isn’t about me being protected, and would you quit calling me kid?! I’m your age!” Kageyama slid into his seat. Persistent and defensive, just the combination he needed.

Just as he started the car, the kid grabbed the window and poked his head in. His eyes bore into Kageyama’s, this empty alien glare making him squirm in his seat.

“My parents are dead because of this thing,” he stated bluntly. “My sister is living with our aunt and uncle. I have friends with families that have no way to protect themselves because they have no idea these things exist.” Kageyama leaned back. The kid leaned forward. “I’m doing this for them. For every person that doesn’t know the threat and can’t fend for themselves. If you have a heart you’ll do it for them, too.” Kageyama sighed.

“Geez, back off. I’m going to kill this thing, alright? Happy?”

“I’ll help you.”

“I don’t need your help, dumbass!”

“Is that why so many hunters died the last time you went after this demon?”

Alright, that set him off.

Kageyama slammed the door open and sent the kid sprawling backward. He slammed it shut again and backed out of the driveway. As he sped off down the road to find a motel for the night, he saw the kid hop on a motorcycle, taking off after him.

“God damn it…”

This was going to be a long drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune in next Sunday for Chapter 2! I may get it done earlier than that, but I'm not sure.
> 
> Edit: Alright, I was a little overambitious. I probably won't have the next chapter up by Sunday because I'm going to be traveling to a track meet today, staying overnight, and competing tomorrow. I hope to get it posted by Tuesday. Thank you for being so patient!

**Author's Note:**

> Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
> 
> Chapter 1 will be up next Sunday!


End file.
